Casefile: Katrina Morton
by Brandy-Layne
Summary: COMPLETE Casefile. Nick and Sara called to a body buried in a backyard and work their first case together since the shift was split. Slight GSR and NSR in the last chapter. Please review.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: **

**First of all thank you for taking the time to read this story. It is 99 percent casefile with just a hint of G/S and N/S in the last chapter - I like to make you wait for it ;-)**

**Secondly, I don't own any characters and will not profit of this story.**

**Lastly, if you enjoy this chapter, please leave a review, it only takes you a few seconds and makes me feel all warm and fuzzy for hours. Also, don't forget to look at my profile and read some of my other stories. They are all mainly Nick oriented and the other Casefile I have is not completed and probably won't be. Some are good, some are fair but I don't think any of them actually suck. My favourite is still Obituary. Please review if you enjoy (or not- I can take it). **

**Again, thank you for taking the time to read this. - Donna**

**Chapter 1**

"What is the deal with men and heavy machinery?" Laura handed her husband a cold beer. "You have been watching them for hours." Her husband stood at the edge of their porch and looked out over their back yard. The sun had started to sink behind them. Long shadows formed across the yard and over the large machines gouging huge clumps of earth from the middle of their back yard. Installing a swimming pool was the final touch their dream house needed, and finally they had begun work after months of planning and loan extensions.

"Shouldn't they have finished by now? I've never known a contractor to work past 5." Laura checked her watch and noted it was after 6:30PM.

"They were going to work until the hole was done because they started late," Michael informed her.

The trench digger was turned off and the driver jumped out of the cab and headed towards the last clump of dirt removed. His foreman also came forward. "Well it looks like they are stopping now. What are they looking at?"

"I don't know, let's go have a look." Stepping off their back porch they headed to where the men were standing.

"Is there a problem here guys?" Michael asked them.

One of the contractors turned towards the couple, "Well yes sir, I am afraid there is. Seems we may have dug something up."

Looking down at the dirt Laura and Michael realised that they were not looking at a clump of dirt, but at a desiccated body partially wrapped in a blanket.

The foreman turned to the owners. "I think you should call the police."

"What have we got Jim?" Nick Stokes asked as he and fellow CSI Sara Sidle strode into the crime scene.

Nick and Sara hadn't worked together on a case since Ecklie had split the shift and Nick had to admit to himself he was a little excited to have Sara with him tonight. They worked well together and usually had fun doing it. Assuming Sara wasn't in one of her moods that is, and she seemed as happy as he was to be working with him again.

"Thought you two were on different shifts now?" Jim Brass said as he looked up at the two of them. Jim also enjoyed working with these young CSIs. Both were more than competent and enthusiastic.

"Cath has been in court all day and Warrick is booked up on field work this month. The lovely Miss Sidle was kind enough to come in early and work shift with me. What can I say, she can't stay away from me." Nick poked his fellow CSI in the ribs with his elbow as he said this.

"Who begged who to work with them?" Sara shot back as she walked over to inspect the body.

"Mumified body, looks to be female from the clothing, but this is Vegas so we'll wait until the coroner confirms shall we. Found buried and wrapped in a blanket. Just waiting for David to finish up," Jim Brass filled Nick and Sara in on the small amount of information he had managed to gather since arriving some 20 minutes earlier. "Hard to tell how long it has been here. The Landers bought this block of land 18 months ago and built their house. Decided it was time to put in the pool and this is what they dig up."

"Nice little surprise for them. Are they suspects?" Sara asked.

"Nah, I don't think so, they seemed genuinely shocked at the discovery."

"Hi Nick, Sara," David greeted him as he walked over from the body.

"Super Dave! What have you got for us man?" Nick greeted the assistant coroner in his usual jovial manner.

"I was unable to ascertain a time of death, based on the mummification it could be anything from 6 months to 6 years. It is female though regardless of Detective Brass's suspicions. I've finished up if you all want to take a look." David led them over to the body that had now been laid out at the edge of the large hole.

The mummified body of the woman lay before them. It was laid out on top of the blanket it had been wrapped in. Nick and Jim knelt down to take a closer look at her while Sara went to work photographing the body and surroundings. Large holes were gouged out of her mid section where the machinery's shovel edges had dug into her. Other than that, there didn't seem to be any obviously signs of what might have killed her.

"How did she die Dave," Jim asked as he pulled out his notepad to take down what the coroner had to offer.

"Nothing obvious, I will have to take a closer look when I get her back to the morgue. Could be anything from blunt force trauma to asphixiation or even natural causes."

"You would hardlywrap someone in a blanket and bury themin a back yard for natural causes now do you," Jim responded.

"Not usually no, but I have seen stranger things." David responded.

"Actually, Jim, this was desert only 2 years ago. They started developing the land then and built this housing estate." Nick notices Sara, Dave and Jim all looking at him, wondering how he came across this little piece of information. "I was thinking about buying out here but I was too far from work. I ended buying a little fix her up about 15 minutes from work. Should make a title little profit."

"Not turning into a capitalist pig on me are you Nicky?" Brass asked.

"No, just decided it was time to move. No harm in making a profit in doing so."

"Did you sell your old place?" Sara asked.

"Yeah, about 18 months ago." Nick bent back down over the body and Sara and Brass didn't continue with the conversation. They knew Nick had been having a hard time getting over what had happened at his house and they didn't want to open any old wounds.

"So the body could have easily been dumped out here prior to that time. At least the gives us an approximate time to start looking," Jim straightened up and moved to the other side of the mummy. "I'll contact the council and see who owned this land before the developer bought it. What is that under the body?" He pointed to some white paper sticking out from under the body's back.

Coming around to where Jim was pointing Nick bent down to take a closer look. "Looks like paper of some kind. Sara, you want to get shots of this while we roll her over." Sara's flash lit up the night as Nick and Jim carefully rolled the body onto it's side and revealed some sheets of paper. "Photos?" Sara asked.

"Looks like it, the top one is pretty much ruined from the body fluids." Nick lifted the first photograph and laid it on the blanket beside the body. Sara flash lit up the night againas she took photos of her own. Lifting up the second and third photographs and laying them down beside the first Sara continued to document the find.

"Who do you recon that is?" Jim asked as he looked at the two viewable pictures laid out before him.

Sara bent down beside Nick and Jim and looked as well. "Could be anyone. Looks like a teenage boy. Depending on the age of this woman it could be her son, grandson, uncle, brother…. "

"Could be anyone. I'll take these back to the lab and see if we can get anything from them and try and at least ID the kid in the picture." Nick placed each of the photographs retrieved into an evidence bag and sealed them.

"I suppose it would be too much to ask that it be a photo of the murderer now wouldn't it," Brass commented as he eased himself up with a groan.

"Good to see you still enjoy a little wishful thinking even after being a detective for so very, many, many years Jim," Nick smiled at the older man and Brass threw him a look that most people would find intimidating, but after working with the man for more than eight years, he knew he could take a joke.

"Just do your job Stokes and leave the smart arse comments to me please." Jim shot back. "Anything else on the body that could ID her?"

Sara stood up and shook her head. "No, nothing else with the body. Looks like we might have to see if Doc and get some fingerprints out of her."

Nick jumped down into the hole in the ground and spent the next 5 minutes looking at the ground around where the body had been unearthed.

"Find anything," Sara asked as she looked down at her partner.

"Nothing! Looks like she was pretty much ripped out of this area here but there doesn't seem to be anything else here. No signs of a weapon." Nick reached out a hand and Sara grabbed it and helped him climb out of the hole that was nearly as deep as a grave, but round as half a swimming pool.

"Someone sure didn't want this body found. Hard to believe they could dig this deep without some kind of help." Sara looked back down into the hole.

Nick removed his latex gloves and placed them into an evidence bag. "He probably didn't. This ground would have been levelled out when they started building the estate. If the body was buried in a gully she might have only been 2 feet under. Then the graders come along and level it all out… bingo, six foot grave."

"They were just lucky it wasn't found 18 months ago when they started building the house. Lucky positioning I suppose." Sara also had removed her gloves and placed them in the same bag as Nick. Everything from a crime scene went into evidence.

"You can take her now Dave. We'll see you back there for the autopsy." Nick turned back to Jim. "That is pretty much it for us, this is obviously just a dumping ground. Not much more we can get from here."

"OK. I'll head back to the station and start work on trying to ID her." Call me and let me know if the autopsy turns up anything else.

"Will do, catch you later Jim."

"Catch you later."

The two CSIs and vetran Detective parted ways and headed off to their destinations to start work on a case, that in their experience, had a very low probability of ever being solved.


	2. Chapter 2

"Hey Doc," Nick greeted Dr Al Robbins as he and Sara entered the morgue. The mummified body was lying out on the metal slab in front of them and Dr Robbins was already started on the autopsy.

"Nick, Sara. Good timing. I have managed to determine cause of death and we are looking at blunt force trauma. Looks like only one hit as there is only one fracture to rear of the skull."

"Anyway to tell what did the damage?" Sara asked while bending over to look at the now skinless skull laid out before them.

"Only that it was heavy enough to crack a skull bone but not sharp enough to actually split the skin. Large bruise on the head indicates she didn't die immediately. Don't want to sound like an old Sherlock Holmes book or anything but I don't suppose there was a lead pipe in the vicinity of the victim?"

Nick looked up at the man and responsed, "'Fraid not. Nothing found that even remotely looked like a weapon. Sent Greg out to keep digging around where the body was found but he just called before to say nothing turned up. I doubted it would."

"Anything that could help us identify her Doc? Could we get viable fingerprints?" Sara asked.

"I have removed the tips of her fingers and have them soaking as we speak. Good thing you came down Sara, need a nice slim hand to slip them on to." Sara screwed up her face as this. One of the least fun things of being a slim fingered female was having to slip on someone else's skin. Nick threw Sara a small smirk. Luckily being of the broad fingered kind he rarely had to go through this little ritual.

"She appears to be in her late teens to early twenties, has not given birth and is about 5 feet 4 inches. Although the hair is a little dull now I would say she was a strawberry blonde. Also found this," Doc indicated that Nick and Sara take look on the hip of the victim.

Faintly they could make out a slight discoloration on her hip. Hard to make out with the skin tone now so brown but it was there. "I've taken some photos and will have them up to you when they are processed."

"What is that?" Nick asked. "Some kind of birth mark?"

"Looks like it. Seems to be shaped like a starfish. That might be handy for trying to ID her on missing persons."

"I'll get the information to Brass." Sara advised. "Anything else you can tell us?"

"Her fingernails were damaged."

"Fighter or biter?" Nick asked.

"Hopefully a fighter. I did a scrapping before soaking them and sent it up to Mia for DNA analysis." He handed the bindle to Nick containing, with any luck, the DNA of her murder.

Nick nodded, "OK, only one thing left to do." He turned to his partner, "Your hand my lady." Nick took Sara by the hand and led her over to the table by the wall where the fingertips had been soaking in a large glass beaker.

Both of them slipped on latex gloves and Nick assisted Sara with the slipping on the first of 10 re-hydrated tips. "Ewwww, I hate this." Nick looked up to see Sara's face screwed up in displeasure. Carefully he took her and hand and gently rolled it on the ink pad and then again on the fingerprint card.

"One down, nine to go."

"Just get it over with please."

Finally finished Sara quickly stripped off her gloves and threw them away in the bio hazard bin near the door. "I need to wash my hands." With that she said a quick goodbye to Doc and headed out the door.

"I'm right; I'll get the rest of the evidence Sara. Don't worry about it," Nick shot at her retreating back. A small wave was her only response.

Collecting up the evidence bags with the blanket and clothing, the DNA bindle and the print cards, Nick said goodbye to the coroner and headed back to the lab after his squeamish partner.


	3. Chapter 3

Nick headed down the hall towards the break room. He had spent the last couple of hours going over the evidence collected while Sara had been called out on a burglary. She had just phoned him to say she was on her way back and she would meet him at the break room for a coffee. 

Walking into the room he saw that he had beaten Sara in and that Warrick was also in the room.

"If it isn't the POW. How is your sentence going?"

Warrick looked up at Nick when he heard his voice. "Just great. Nothing a CSI likes more than being stuck here with all the loony lab rats. How is your case going?"

Shrugging he replied, "Not much we can do until we ID the body. Jim is checking the missing person's records for a female with a starfish birthmark, Doc is trying to get a dental match and I have been running the prints through AFIS. So far, nothing."

Refilling his cup Warrick commiserated with his partner. "Bad enough when you can't ID a vic, even worse when she is young and female. Keep at it, hopefully something will come up. OK, I'm heading back to the mountain of paperwork Cath was kind enough to leave me. Let me know if you need any help. In house of course."

"Of course. Have fun."

Warrick left the room as Sara entered. "Hey."

"Hey. How was your burglary?" Nick asked.

"Straight forward." Sara headed over to the counter and went to pour herself a cup of coffee before she realised that the pot was empty. "Nick! You take the last cup and can't even refill the pot. Even when you know I am coming in for one." Sara slammed down the pot and started opening and closing doors with a little more force than necessary just to show her disapproval.

"Don't blame me, Warrick took the last cup. I left enough there for large mug."

"Right, blame the person who just left."

Nick didn't bother defending himself anymore. Sara would get over it as soon as a fresh cup was poured.

"So do you want to know what I have got or are you going to chew me out a bit more for something I didn't do?"

Excited now she swung round and faced him, "You got something? Tell me quick."

"Actually, no. Got nothing. But I made you forget about the coffee." Grinning he moved sideways slightly to miss the long life creamer package she threw at him.

"You throw like a girl."

"I am a girl."

"That is no excuse." Ripping off the top he poured the creamer into his coffee.

"So what _have_ you been up to while I have been gone?" She asked, her temper tantrum dissipated now that the a fresh pot of coffee was brewing.

"Checked out the blanket and clothes, got some fibres off the clothing that didn't match the blanket she was wrapped in. Looked like high end wool. Red and gold in colour; my guess, carpet fibres. Running the prints through AFIS now and was just about to look at those photo's we recovered. Would you like to join me?"

"Only if you promise to come back and poor me a coffee when this pot if finished."

"I'll even buy you a candy bar."

Together they walked out the door and down to the AV lab and managed to get to the door before Mia caught up with them.

"Got two profiles from your victims nails. Both male, neither related to the vic and neither a match on CODIS." She handed her paperwork over to Sara who quickly perused the files and handed them over to Nick.

"Great, another dead end."

"Sorry." Waving at the pair she headed back down the hall to her lab.

Nick's phone started to ring and he looked at the caller ID, "It's Jim. Keep your fingers crossed. Jim, what have you got for us?"

"Katrina Morgan."

"Is that a positive ID?" Nick asked the detective on the other side of the phone.

"Pretty sure. Fits the description including the birthmark. Went missing 3 years and 8 months ago. I am heading out to speak with the parents soon as it is adecent hour. Do you and Sara want to join me? Might be able to collect something from the house to match to her DNA or fingerprints. Say 7am."

Nick agreed to meet him and after taking note of the address ended the call. "Well at least we have a name. Katrina Morgan. He's sending over the original missing person's report. We are going to meet Jim at the parent's house at 7. Until then, let's look at these snapshots we recovered."

After cleaning up the damaged shot as best they could they scanned all three pictures into the computer for a more detailed look.

Sitting side by side the two colleagues studied the shots.

Each pictures showed a dark haired teenager, approximately 16 or 17 years of age.

"They certainly aren't posed for. I would say he didn't even know he was having is picture taken. Possibly taken from a distance with a high powered zoom?" Sara squinted as she leaned in to get a closer look.

"What is that in the background?" Nick asked. "Looks like a sign of some kind. Let's see if we can't get thisbetter focused."

Cropping the area in question and blowing it up Nick refined the picture until they were able to read the letters on a sign behind the unnamed boy.

SIER

HIGH

LAS V

"Well I am going to go out on a limb and say the last line is Las Vegas." Sara piped up with a smile.

"Good call Sherlock. What about the second line? High School perhaps?"

"Go onto Google and look up Las Vegas High Schools." Sara instructed.

Nick changed screens and typed in as requested. "Results 1-10 of 1,210,000. Lets go for option number one and see how we go." A few clicks later and they were looking at a list of high schools in the Clark County area. "There we go, Sierra Visa High School, Robindale Road. Let's see if they have a home page." A short time later and Nick and Sara were watching a short slide show of the modern school. One of the pictures reflected the same sign that Nick had just blown up from the photographs.

"Want to go to school after we visit the parents?" Sara asked her partner.

"Only if you wear one of those school uniforms." Nick winced slightly at the slap he received on the back of his head. "Bully."


	4. Chapter 4

At 7am precisely Nick and Sara pulled up to the curb outside the house of Katrina Morgan's parents. Jim Brass was already there and waiting for them.

"Ready?" Jim asked.

Both Nick and Sara nodded and headed up the short walk to the front door with the Detective. Jim stepped forward and knocked on the front door and waited for an answer.

Nick and Sara both look around taking note of their surroundings. The house was a large 3 storey Mediterranean style and the gardens well manicured and in keeping with the style of the house. Situated in one of the more affluent suburbs of Las Vegas it was obvious this family had money. And plenty of it.

The door was answered by a small Asian woman in a black skirt and cardigan. "Yes please." Her accent was heavy, most likely hired help.

"Yes, would Mr or Mrs Morgan be available please." Jim asked politely.

Opening the door she let the visitors into the foyer of the house. "Yes please, name please."

"I am Jim Brass of the Las Vegas Police Department and this is Nick Stokes and Sara Sidle of the Las Vegas Crime Lab."

Nodding and bowing the woman left the room and returned shortly after followed by a distinguished middle aged Caucasian male. "I'm Mr Morgan how can I help you?"

Doubting that Mr Morgan received more than instructions that police were at the door Jim reintroduced himself and the CSI's. "Is there somewhere we can talk Mr Morgan?"

"Yes please follow me. Cindy can you please have Mrs Morgan join us in the lounge room." Cindy bowed and ran off to do his bidding.

Leading the way Mr Morgan lead the three CSI's into a spacious living area with leather lounge chair and open fire place. The entire house was decorated in a light creamy white with just a splash of colour here and there in artwork or decorations. Very tasteful if a little sterile.

"Please take a seat, my wife will be here shortly. Is there anything I can get you. We have orange juice or soda, water or something stronger if you like."

Nick and Sara both shook their heads and let Jim take the lead in the conversation.

"Mr Morgan…" he began.

"James, please." Mr Morgan responded.

"James, we are sorry to interruption you so early in the morning but we……"

"Is it Katrina… have you found her? Is she OK?" The three PD employees turned around to see an attractive middle aged woman enter the room. She stood only about 5 feet5 inches talland had light but greying hair pulled up in a French roll at the back of her head.

Nick and Jim both stood as the woman entered the room, both being gentlemen at heart. As she drew closer Nick noticed that she was probably a little younger than first thought but her face was heavily lined. No doubt stress of having a missing child had played heavily on her for the last three or so years.

"As I was just about to tell your husband, we have located someone who fits your daughter's description and were hoping we might be able to collect some personal items to make a definite identification."

"Just take us too her, we will be able to tell if it is her. How is she, is she hurt?" Mrs Morgan's eyes looked pleadingly from Jim to her husband. Obviously she did not come to the same realisation that her husband already seemed to grasp.

"Unfortunately that won't be possible. I am afraid this person is deceased." Jim advised her gently.

"Then it isn't her. It can't be. She ran away. She is alive. If this person is dead it can't be her. It can't be.. Tell them James." Taking his wife in his arms, James Morgan lead her out of the room.

Nick, Sara and Jim shared a few looks. It was hard enough to give this sort of news to people with a firm grasp on reality, but when someone was obviously disturbed it was harder still. "Looks like she took it hard." Nick observed to the other two.

Nodding Sara and Jim waited patiently for James Morgan to return.

"I'm sorry about that. She has just not been the same since…. Since it happened. Are you sure it is her?"

Jim explained that they recovered a body matching his daughters description including the starfish birthmark on her left hip. "If you have some personal belongings we might be able to take with us to help us positively identify her would be greatly appreciated."

"Of course, what do you need?"

Nick took the initiative and advised James of what was required, "A hair brush would be our best bet,but a toothbrush might also assist. Also, we noted that her room wasn't thoroughly searched at the time the report was made. If you would give us permission to have a look at the room we could dust it for prints that could be a possible match?"

"Um, I will have to get the key from my wife though. She had the room locked just after Katrina went missing. She doesn't allow anyone to enter it not even me. I'm not sure how she will react." Mr Morgan through a nervous look up toward the ceiling, no doubt where his wife was located.

"We understand this may be difficult for her but if we don't receive her permission we will have a search warrant issued. This is now a homicide investigation, regardless of if your wife wants to come to terms with that or not." Jim advised him firmly but gently.

"OK, come with me please." James lead the trio through the house and up to the second floor. "Katrina's room is third door on your left. I will just go into get the key from my wife."

Nick, Sara and Jim waited patiently outside the room, neither speaking and all feeling very uncomfortable. Soft voices could be heard coming from the main bedroom and then sobs. A short time later James Morgan joined them and unlocked his daughters bedroom.

Just as he was about to step over the threshold, Nick placed a hand on his chest and stopped him. "I'm afraid you will have to wait out here sir."

"James, come back down stairs with me and let's talk about what happened." Brass held out his arm indicating that James Morgan should precede him down the stairs.

Casting a last look over his shoulder he complied with Jim Brass's request and headed off.

Nick and Sara entered the room and got to work.

The room was decorated again in the light creamy colour with splashes of salmon and gold as highlights. The room looked untouched.

"Why didn't the CSI's process the room back when she first disappeared?" Sara asked Nick who was collecting brushes and other possible DNA samples from the adjoining bathroom.

"File indicated that she went out in the morning and never returned. Her boyfriend was known to be with her until 5pm and then she disappeared. Therefore, this room was not really a crime scene. With no body there was no use collecting finger prints or DNA." Nick informed her, his voice echoing off the tiles.

"The boyfriend a suspect?"

"Yep but again, no body, no evidence. No doubt we will be paying him a visit later today."

"Maybe that is who is in the photos?" Sara asked hopefully.

"Highly doubtful, her boyfriend was a 25 year old African American."

"Oh."

"According to the file, Mom and Dad didn't think much of him. He does, however, come from a very affluent family."

"If it wasn't his social position the what was their problem?"

"Quote 'they just didn't like his type' unquote."

"Ah, like that is it."

Nick just shrugged. "I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt. Maybe he hit her or had a smart mouth or something."

"I'm glad Warrick isn't working this case, I hate it when a finger of guilt is pointed at the only African American player in the bunch. I always feel like I have to over compensate."

Nick just chuckles, "Warrick's OK. He knows when to be offended and when not to. How you going in there?"

"Not much to look at. Lifted a few print which will hopefully match our vic. Collected a sample of the carpet here but it doesn't look like the right colour for a match to the ones you found on the clothing. I did find this though." She stepped into the bathroom and held up a high quality SLR camera. "Could be the camera that took the photos."

"Any film in it?"

Sara turned the camera over and looked in the view window at the rear. "Yep, Kodak 200. Take it and develop the photos? Can't find any other photos or negatives that might match our photos though."

"Sounds like a plan. I have her hair brush and toothbrush and also lifted some prints. Lets get these back to the lab and get Mia to work on a match."

They left the room and headed back down to the lounge room where Jim and James Morgan were finishing up the interview. Seeing the two CSI's Jim nodded and stood. Just before saying their goodbyes though, Jim withdrew the photographs Nick and Sara had studied and showed them to Mr Morgan. He had wanted to show the photos in Nick and Sara's presence so they might be able to catch any expression that might quickly cross his face.

"Mr Morgan, can you tell me if you recognise the young man in these photos?" James Morgan looked down at the photographs in Jim's hand. A small frown crossed his face.

"No I'm sorry, I don't. Does he have something to do with Katrina's murder?" he asked.

"We don't know at this stage I am afraid. Well thank you for your time and if you can bring your wife down to the station to talk when she is feeling better, we would really appreciate it."

Hands were shaken all around and the three left the residence.

"Do you think he knew the boy?" Jim asked his co workers.

Nick shrugged his shoulders, "Hard to tell, I personally thought there was a flicker of recognition but, I couldn't swear to it."

"I couldn't tell." Sara admitted.

"OK, well I am going to try and track down this old boyfriend of hers. Father says he was the last one to see her alive. What are you two up to?"

"Once we drop off this evidence we are going to swing by Sierra Vista High and see if we can't ID this kid, and then I am going home to bed." Nick advised.

"OK, let me know how you go with that."

"The kid or bed?" Nick asked.

"Whichever is more interesting." Jim shot back.

"Well it won't be his bed." Sara responded with a nasty grin at her parner.


	5. Chapter 5

Sara and Nick sat on the plastic chairs outside the principles office at the Siera Vista High School.

"Doesn't matter how old you get, this is one of the most nerve wracking places to sit in the world, isn't it" Sara's leg had been jumping up and down since they had sat down 5 minutes earlier.

"I have to admit, this if the first time I have ever sat outside one." Nick responded.

"You never got sent to the principles office…. Ever?"

Nick shook his head. "No, not once. I was one of the good kids."

"So was I but I still ended up here on occasion."

"Let me guess, fighting with the teachers?" Nick suggested.

Sara looked at him with a stunned look on her face. "How could you possibly know that."

"You look like the trouble making type." He smiled at his partner's embarrassment. "Come on Sara, I have never known you to be quiet when someone told you something wrong, why would a teacher be any different."

"At least I didn't sit there and say 'yes sir, no sir, three bags full sir, can I get an apple for you sir' " Sara's voice dripped with sarcasm.

"There is a time and a place for everything. You just don't have the subtle touch of good timing." Sara sat quietly after that. She hated it when he was right.

"Mr Stoke, Miss Sidle, sorry to keep you waiting, please come in."

Nick and Sara followed Geena Houlihan, a short dark woman, into the office and sat opposite her.

"How can we help you today?"

Nick pulled out the photographs and handed them to Geena. "Miss Houlihan, would you be kind enough to let us know if you recognise this boy. We believe he may have been a student at this high school 3 or 4 years ago."

She took the pictures from Nick and lifted her glasses that hung round her neck and placed them on her nose. Looking at the pictures she started nodding her head. "Yes, that is Devon Sampson. He graduated two years ago now. Always in trouble that one. Smart boy but pig headed. Always fighting with the teachers. Hard to control a student that is smarter than the teacher." Nick stifled a grin and avoided casting a glance at Sara. From the corner of his eye he could see her squirm.

Clearing her throat Sara asked the principle for the last known address of the student.

"What about the people in this photograph." Nick handed over a picture retrieved from the Morgan residence that showed a much better looking Katrina with her parents.

"No, sorry, I don't recognise anyone there."

With address in hand Nick and Sara headed out just as the lunch bell rang and the students swarmed out of the classrooms.

Young girls and boys engulfed the two and Nick and Sara couldn't help but gawk at the students and the very adult clothing they were able to get away with in this day and age. Many of the boys towered over Nick who stood just short of 6' himself, while Sara couldn't help but feel very inadequate in the chest region.

"Unbelievable, I'm 32 years old and feel inadequate around these girls. I could never get through High School these days. Some of them look like they are in their 20's" Sara observed.

Nick was trying his hardest to keep his eyes straight ahead and off the young women around him. It was hard though as many of these girls were shooting the handsome Texan much more than coy looks. Some of them looked like they were willing to eat him up there and then. "Tell me about it. I am totally freeked I will pick up a girl one night and have her jump out of bed and say, 'I have to go home, it's a school night'."

Looking around at some of these young women Sara actually sympathised with her partner. Looking at the young men she totally understood his fears. Many of whom where throwing her approving glances as well. He half expected to hear them say "How you doin'" just like Joey off Friends, as she walked past. These guys could easily pass as a young but perfectly legal men.

"I have a rule." Nick informed his partner as they finally made their way out of the school and towards their car. "Take a guess at a woman's age, then take of 5 years. If that makes her less than 20 years old I don't touch her."

"Smart thinking." Sara agreed as they headed home after a long, long shift.


	6. Chapter 6

With Catherine and Warrick back on board for swing shift and Grissom, Sofia and Greg on a light workload at present, Nick and Sara were both given permission to rest up and returned to work at 8pm that night, half way through the swing shift which would allow them to finish up at 4am. Not that an 8 hour shift was ever finished in 8 hours. In fact Nick was having trouble remembering the last time an 8 hour shift was finished in only 10 hours. Overtime was just such a way of life he wouldn't know what to do with him self with more than 12 hours at home in any one stretch.

Sara greeted him at the lockers. "Jim just called, he has the boyfriend at the station and wants to know if we want to come over and eavesdrop. Also has an address for Devon Sampson and is sending out a uniformed invitation for him to join us at the station."

"Does that man ever sleep?" Nick asked as he finished loading his firearm and placed it in his holster.

"Don't feel sorry for him, his couch folds out to a bed. He may not get a lot of sleep but he gets enough."

Ten minutes later Nick and Sara were seated behind the mirror of the interrogation room and Brass and Vega interviewed Alan Cartwright, the victims boyfriend and the last man to see her alive.

"So on the night she went missing, you were with her correct?"

"Yeah, we met up for lunch and spent the afternoon together and then she left about 5pm."

"And you didn't see her after that?"

"That's right, I…. I went home and just watched TV for the rest of the night."

"Alone?"

"Yeah, alone."

"Can anyone verify your story."

"I just said I was alone."

The man looked nervous. Even Nick and Sara could tell he was sweating from were they sat. He was hiding something, that was for sure.

"So, where did she say she was going?'

"Said she was going home, had to talk to her Dad about something. She had been in a mood all afternoon, I was kind of glad she was going. Hey, what's this all about anyway, I told you guys this 4 years ago when she first went missing."

"Well, Alan, can I call you Alan or do you prefer Mr Cartwright?" Jim lived to keep the suspects off kilter.

"Alan's fine."

"Well Alan, who do you suppose this is?" Jim produced large photographs of the victims mummified body and tossed them across the table where they stopped just in front of Alan.

Alan looked down at the photographs and a sickened look came over his dark face. "What is this, who is this?"

"This, Alan, is Katrina. She's dead, in case you couldn't tell."

Alan pushed the photographs away from him and actually looked like he was going to be sick.

"Not a pretty sight is it?" Jim asked as he picked up the photographs and looked at them himself. He leaned over the back of Alan and placed one particularly gruesome shot close to his face, "See how the lips have pealed away from her teeth, looks like she is grinning doesn't it?"

"Get that out of my face." Alan forced Jims hand away from his fact and turned his head from the photograph.

"Bet she looked different when you wrapped up her body and buried her didn't it. Looked like she was sleeping. We found DNA under her fingernails, any chance it might be yours?" Alan's eyes widened as Jim Brass continued to talk to him. Widened still as he realised what the detective was accusing him of. "Doesn't look like she is sleeping now."

"You… you can't think I had anything to do with this do you? I…. I couldn't do anything like that to Kat… I cared for her too much."

"Cared for her? Did you hear that Vega? He CARED for her. But you didn't love her?"

"Yes I loved her. I could never do anything like that. Never. Why would you think I did?"

"Why? Because you were the last person to see her alive. Why? Because you have nobody to confirm that she left you alive. Why? Because you CARED for her."

Alan couldn't take the barrage any longer and started to tear up. "I would never hurt her. Please believe me. She left me at 5… she was fine… I…. I can prove it!"

Nick and Sara both raised and eyebrow at each other.

"Then prove it Alan. Prove to me that you didn't bash her over the head and bury her." Jim was almost shouting now, knowing that he was on the verge of a breakthrough or a confession.

"Daniel can tell you. He saw her leave. He was with me for the night." Alan leant forward and started to cry.

Brass and Vega looked at each other over the table and mouthed the word 'Daniel' to each other, just as Nick and Sara were repeating the same word.

"Who the hell is Daniel?" Sara's question was rhetorical but Nick shrugged his shoulders anyway.

"Who is Daniel?" Jim yelled at Alan. "You tell me you were alone an now you tell me there was a Daniel? Why should I believe you? Who is he?"

"My lover." Alan was sobbing now. Tears streaming down his face, hands wringing together showing is anguish. "Daniel is my lover. She didn't know I was bi."

Behind the glass Nick and Sara stared at each other. "Wow, this is better than Days of Our Lives." Nick exclaimed. Sara only nodded.

After Alan calmed down Jim was able to find out what happened.

"Kat and I spent the afternoon together, we had sex. Like I said she was in a real mood and when she gets like that she likes it…. Rough… you know what I mean. She left scratches on my back that took a week to heal. But she left after that. She said she had to go see her Dad about 'a legal matter' and then left. Daniel was parked outside waiting for her to leave. When she left he came in and …. He stayed for the night. I…. I couldn't say anything before, if my parents, or boss find out I am gay….. they will never forgive me. You can call him. He'll tell you what happened. I didn't hurt her. I couldn't. I cared for her."

Jim called Nick in and he took a swab from inside his mouth to compare to the DNA found on the victim. Nick had no doubt this would match one off the profiles.

Outside the three of them discussed their next move.


	7. Chapter 7

Sara and Nick joined Jim inside the interogation room for the next meeting.

Jim informed them that he had had a quick phone call with the mysterious 'Daniel' who had confirmed Alan Cartwright's story.

"Could Alan have called and filled him in?" Sara asked as they waited.

"No chance I was dialling his number before Alan was even out of eyeshot. Said he saw his '_white wench beat out'_ and spent the night _'of carnal exploration'_ with _'Cartwright, do right'_." Jim closed his notepad with a slightly disgusted look on his face. "Alan may be able to pass as one of us but his boy toy sure couldn't."

Nick and Sara shared a small smile at the homophobic detective's expense.

Devon Sampson and his mother were finally led in by one of the uniformed officers and took a seat opposite Jim and Nick. Sara stood behind Devon and his mother.

"Thank you for agreeing to come in and see us Mr Sampson, Mrs Sampson" Jim greeted the young man and older woman. He was older now than the photographs but definitely the same young man.

"Miss Sampson," the mother responded. "I'm not a Mrs. Now, would you be kind enough to tell us what is going on. We get a phone call from the police asking my son to come in and assist with a HOMISIDE investigation. Is my son a suspect. Do we need a lawyer." Mrs Sampson was working herself up to quite a state and Nick put up his hands in a calming motion.

"Mrs… sorry Miss Sampson, we have merely asked Devon to come down and talk, that's all." He gave her one of his most charming smiles. Behind the Sampson's Sara smirked. She could never calm someone with just a smile the way Nick could. She was jealous. She would love to have half his charm… and would love to have that smile sent her way. Wow, where did that thought come from?

Jim sat back and let Nick start off, obviously his charm would work much better than Jim's abraisive personality.

"You see, we found some photograph's of your son. They were buried with a body and we were hoping your son might have some information that could help us with our investigations." Mrs Sampson visibly relaxed a little and looked to her son.

"What sort of photos?" Devon asked. These were the first words the young man had uttered.

Jim produced the photographs from the police file and slid them across so he could have a look at them.

"When were these taken?" Devon asked.

"We would assume about 3 and a half to 4 years ago. They appear to be of you going into your school yard. Do you have any recollection of anyone taking photographs of you, or approaching you by any chance?" Nick continued to speak to the young man as Sara moved around the table slowly. There was something about him. She couldn't put her finger on it. She studied his face intently. What was it?

"Not that I remember. Where did you find them?" The young man seem quiet but self assured. He may have his mother with him but he was not a momma's boy.

Jim again pulled a photograph out of the police file and slid it across the file to Devon. He pointed out Katrina in the middle of her parents.

"This is Katrina Morton. Her body was discovered buried last night and these photographs were found with the body. Do you have any idea who she is? Have you ever met her before?"

Again Devon shook his head "No. I have never heard of her. Never seen her either." Devon looked up at Nick and Brass and noticed Sara staring at him. Nick noticed where his look was and turned to look at his partner. Realising she had been staring a little too intently, Sara dropped her stare and tried to throw Devon one of Nick's charming smiles. She just looked … weird. Nick raised and eyebrow at her and turned back to the Sampsons.

"Would you be willing to let us take a DNA sample Devon?" Nick asked.

"I don't see why that would be necessary. He said he had never met her so obviously he won't match any samples you have. I think we should go Dev."

"It's OK Mom. Sure, you can take a sample. It won't match anything though. I have never seen her." Nick raised himself from his side of the table and walked around to the young man.

"Just open your mouth for me please." Nick bent down and swabbed the inside of his mouth. "Thank you." He closed off the sample and wrote the case file identifier on outside of the packet.

"Well, thank you both for your time. Here is my card if you have anymore information you can give us. Here is one for you too Mrs Sampson." Jim Brass handed them each a card.

"Miss."

"Sorry, Miss Sampson."

Both of them left the room and the three PD officers sat to see where they were at.

"Well that was a dead end." Nick exclaimed as he sat down.

"Not necessarily, did you see the mother's expression when I handed over the picture of the Morgan family. Looked like she had seen a ghost."

Nick and Sara both shook their heads. "I didn't notice. I was too busy looking at Devon." Sara sat down opposite the two men.

"Yeah, what was that about anyway. You totally freeked him out with that smile."

"I was trying to be charming." Sara admitted as a slight flush of embarrassment raced across her face.

"That was not charming. I was waiting for you to do a Linda Blair and have your head spin around. That was just creepy." Nick grinned at his partner.

Sara responded by poking out her tongue at him.

"Nice, very mature."

"I was looking at him because there was something about him. I don't know. Like I had seen him before, but the more I looked at him the less I could grasp it."

"Well I am telling you," Brass piped in. "She knows something. I may have to have another chat with her I think."

"Well we might just drop these samples off at the lab and see if we have any matches." Nick raised himself from the table.


	8. Chapter 8

Nick and Sara were just returning from a quick Trick Roll job when Mia caught up with them.

"Want the good news or the bad news, or the news that I am not sure is good or bad?" She asked them.

"Good news," Nick responded as Sara said "Bad news."

"OK, how about I decide then." Lifting up the file she read off the page. "Alan Cartwright was a match to one of the samples found under Katrina's fingernails. That was the good news."

"We were pretty sure that was going to match so that is no biggy. What else." Nick asked.

"Devon Sampson was not a match to the other sample. That is the bad news."

Sara shrugged, "Again, not unexpected. What is the other?"

"OK, this is the weird one. Devon Sampson, though not a match, IS a blood relative of sample number two."

Nick let out a small whistle as Sara grabbed the file from Mia.

"Are you sure about this?" she asked.

"Positive, even ran it twice to be on the safe side. How is that for a curve ball?" Immensely please with herself, Mia turned on her heels and left the two dumbfounded CSI's to make sense of her findings.

"How is that possible?" Sara asked.

"They were both male samples weren't they?" Nick leaned in close and looked over Sara's shoulder.

"Yep."

"So it can't be his mother."

"Nope"

"But a blood relative."

"Yep."

"Like father, brother, son."

"Yep."

"But not Devon himself?"

"Nope."

"Wow"

"Yep."

Jim Brass's reaction was less then they were expected. While he did raise an eyebrow he actually seemed like he was expecting the news.

"I have to say Jim, I am a little disappointed. We thought we were dropping a bomb and you act like it was nothing." Nick let his disappointment show.

"Well you see, I just got off the phone from Mrs Sampson…"

"Miss," Sara corrected her. Nick and Jim both gave her a look. "She was quite adament about that," she finished off.

"Fighting with the teacher Sara!" Nick responded.

Ignoring the shared joke Jim continued, "I just got off the phone from MISS Sampson.. and she had quite a sordid tail to tell. It would seem that her son Devon is under the misguided impression that his father passed away when he was only a baby."

Nick raised an eyebrow, "I am assuming this is not the case."

"Correct," Jim leaned back in his chair and shared his own bomb with the CSI's. It so happens that Devon's biological father is no other than… James Morton."

"You are kidding me!" Nick exclaimed.

"That's it!" Sara's reaction was also not what Nick expected.

"That's what?" Jim asked Sara.

"That's why Devon looked so familiar. Jim, pull out the picture you have of the Morton family." Jim complied and handed the photograph over to Sara. "It is so obvious. Can't you see the family resemblance. Devon has striking similarities to his father."

Both Jim and Nick took the photograph from Sara and had to concede that they too, could see a definite family resemblance.

"So, that means that the second DNA sample will most likely belong to James Morton," Nick said.

"But how can that be?" Sara asked. "Wouldn't Katrina have markers in common with her brother, Devon?"

"Not if James is not he father of Katrina?" Jim continued.

"OK, let me get this straight." Nick said. "James Morton does not appear to be the biological father of Katrina Morton, his only known child. However, he IS the biological father of Devon Sampson, photos of whom were found buried with the body of his daughter. Why?"

He then added, "Could we get a search warrant on what we have. I think we need to have a closer look at that house again."

"I should be able to get one. I also it is time Mommy Morton came in to talk to us. James too."

"I'm not going to miss this one." Sara said.

"I'll bring the popcorn. Just give Sara and I a couple of hours to process the house and then call them in." Nick said.


	9. Chapter 9

**AN: Just a quick note - I am from Australia and therefore some of my words are spelt differently from American spelling. I could change my Word Processor language but I use my computer for other stuff so... no. Sorry.**

Once again the three of them found themselves at the front door of the Morton residence. Jim knocked and Cindy once again answered the door. "Yes please."

"Cindy, remember us? Are Mr & Mrs Morton home? We have a warrant."

Obviously confused at the direction of the conversation Cindy disappeared into the house to find one of her employers.

"You guys head on in. I will have a talk to Mr & Mrs Morton."

"OK Jim, but don't start talking about any of the good stuff. I've watched too much of this soap opera to miss out on the third act." Nick said as he and Sara headed into the house.

"I'll do what I can."

Nick and Sara passed James Morton on the stairs on the way up. "What is going on here? What are you doing back here?"

"Mr Morton, would you be kind enough to remove yourself to outside of your dwelling. We have a search warrant for your house." Sara produced the warrant and tried to hand it to him. He refused to take it however. "Is your wife here?"

"Yes, she is in the kitchen. I really must insist that you all leave right now."

"And we really must insist that you remove yourself from your house. We also have a judge who agrees with us." Nick removed the warrant from Sara's hand and thrust it to the chest of James Morton forcing him to take hold of it lest it fall to the floor.

"Mr Morton, if you please," Jim called up from the bottom of the stairs. He also had with him Mrs Morton looking asconfused as Cindy.

Reluctantly James turned and headed down the stairs.

Nick and Sara resumed their climb up the stairs and started to process the house. Starting on the third floor they worked their way methodically down to the bottom level. Stress levels were starting to raise as they worked room by room and found… nothing. Nothing further could be found in the victims bedroom, nothing in the master bedroom, nothing in the lounge room. Both Nick and Sara were starting to feel a little disheartened.

Finally, in the linen cupboard Sara made a discovery. Inside were blankets. Matching blankets to the one wrapped around the victim. "Nick, I got something." She photographed and pulled the blankets out of the cupboard just a Nick came in to see what she had.

"Look familiar?"

"Sure do. Have to run some tests but they look like a visual match to me. You nearly finished up here?" He asked her.

"Yep, what about you?"

"One more room to go, James's study. Want to join me."

"Sure do. Hope we find something in there. Blankets do not a murder conviction make."

"You've been listening to Grissom for too long."

Together they walked into the study. The last room. Their last chance.

Nick took the left hand side and Sara the right. This room actually had colour. Done up quite lavishly in wood panelling, with red and gold features it was a far cry from the clinical blandness of the rest of the house.

Her attention was drawn to the large designer rug in the middle of the room. "Nick, could this be where the fibres originated?"

Nick came over and joined his collegue as they looked down at the floor. "I'd be willing to place a reasonable wager on that bet." He bent down and produced a lighted magnifier, similar to those that jewellers used and lay down to study the carpet. "Wool fibres, colour consistant with that of the fibres collected. Will have to take a sample back to the lab to get a positive match though."

Standing back up next to Sara he looked at her and smiled. "I think we just found our crime scene."

This spurred them on and they processed every inch of that room. Sara bought in the ALS and check out the carpet. She found several deposits of bodily fluids on the carpet. Though she was only expecting to find a small amount of possible spittle from the victim, this was definitely more than expected. "Someone got down and dirty on the carpet here. Deposits all over the place. I'll swab them and take them back to the lab."

Opening cupboards, Nick came across a large zoom lens that would appear to suit the camera recovered from the victims room last time there were here. Lifting it up in his gloved hands, Nick tested it for weight. "Sara, found a 1000mm zoom lens here. Heavy as. This could sure do some damage to a woman's skull."

Sara looked up from where she was finishing her carpet swabs. "Ouch, how heavy is that thing?"

Hefting it up again Nick guessed, "8, 10 pounds maybe. Sure would cause one hell of a headache."

"Murder weapon?"

Nick held the lens up to the light and grinned. Sara knew he had something. "What, tell me."

"Golden blonde strands of hair, about five of them, skin tags in tact. It looks like they got caught under the ring here, and were then ripped out of her head." He removed the hairs and placed them in an evidence bag. He then proceeded to print the lens with white powder. Three clear prints became visible on the black metal. He lifted these and placed them with the other items collected.

Sara sat her self behind the desk and started to go through his personal documents. Flicking through his cheque book she noted lots of cheques made out to Elegance Dry Cleaners. "Hey Nick, how much do you spend on dry cleaners a month?"

Nick thought for a short while, "I don't know, about $30 or so. I don't get that much done. Only the suits I wear to court and a few jackets and dress shirts. Why?"

"Does $5,000 a months sound excessive to you?"

"Yeah, it does."

Sara bagged the cheque book and continued to riffle through the documents. Picking up a legal document her heart let out a beat of excitement. "I just got motive."

Nick came over to look at what Sara had found. Leaning over her shoulder he read what she had found. "Pre Nup."

"Yes sir re bob. Looks like Sanda was the one with the money. Infidelity clause here." Scanning the page she summerised it. "Basically if he was unfaithful, he would get nothing out of the divorce."

"So, Katrina discovered he had, what she can assume was a brother, came to Daddy with the proof, he kills her, buries her, and declares her missing."

"How can you kill your own child for money?"

Looking around the room Nick said, "We are talking A LOT of money here. Also, we know she wasn't his biological daughter, maybe he found out too, or she did."

"I think we need to fill Jim in on what we found."

"You fill him in and I will call the lab and get a rush on this stuff." Nick started to pick up the evidence as he dialled the lab on his phone. "Judy, Nick, we got some hot stuff coming in, can you make sure Mia, Jackie and Hodges clear their desk for this stuff."

Sara left the room to speak to he detective.


	10. Chapter 10

Nick and Sara seated themselves again behind the two way mirror of interrogation room number 1. Mrs Morton was seated calmly there waiting for Jim Brass to come and talk to her.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the room, behind window number 2, was Mr Morton. Looking less than calm he paced the room, also waiting for Jim Brass to come and talk to him. He had been less than happy at the warrant Nick provided to him for collection of his DNA and fingerprints. Nick was glad it was him and not Sara who collected because he got the feeling that he would have thrashed Nick if he thought Nick couldn't give back as good as he got, male or female.

He kept throwing glares at the window knowing that someone would be behind there but not realising that their attention was drawn to window number 1.

Jim Brass entered the room and took a seat opposite Mrs Morton.

"I hope you are feeling better Mrs Morton, I know news like this can be shocking even after all this time."

Sandra Morton nodded her head. While obviously still distraught, she was at least, calmer than their first meeting.

"Mrs Morton, I was hoping you might be able to clarify a few details for us if that is alright. Some of them may be personal but we really need your input."

Again she nodded, "Please, call me Sandra."

"OK, Sandra. You told us that Katrina didn't return home the night she went missing. Where were you that night?"

"I was at a benefit. I am on.. well used to be on the fund raising committee for junvinile diabedes. We had a benefit that night. I didn't arrive home until after midnight. I looked in on Katrina and she wasn't there. I know she was 20 years old but she would always let me know where she was and when she would be home. When she wasn't there I went down to the answering machine but there were no messages. That is when I started to panic and called James."

"Where was James? Still at the benefit?"

"No he didn't come that night. Had something else to do that night.. I… I can't quite remember… something to do with work I think."

"Katrina also wasn't at the benefit?"

"OH lord no. She hated those things. Hadn't been to one in years. They weren't COOL I suppose." She smiled as a memory of her young daughter danced it's way into her head.

"When she did used to come along everyone used to say how much we looked alike. We would wear our hair the same way and dress alike. Sounds stupid I know but I liked it when they told us that. We were lucky I guess."

Jim frowned and asked, "Lucky? How do you mean?"

"That she looked like us. No one knew it but she was adopted. James and I couldn't… well I couldn't have children of my own."

Nick and Sara shared a look. Mystery solved.

"I don't mean to get personal here but, how was your sex life?"

"It wasn't what is could have been. Unfortunately, not only could I not have children but I had a very low sex drive. James was very understanding. He said he was happy the way it was. So long as he was able to … be with me once a week or so, he said he was satisfied."

"Sandra, was there anyway that Katrina could have possibly discovered she was adopted?" Jim asked.

"Not that I could think of. But she was … different just before she… well, you know."

"Different how?"

"She argued with James a lot. They would always stop when I walked in the room but.. I could tell. When I asked about it James would say they were only talking politics and it got heated. Katrina used to agree with him… but … I never really believed her."

"We found a pre nuptial agreement in your husband's belongings. We gather from that document that you were the wealthier of the two of you when you entered your marriage."

"Yes, that's right. My family was one of the original gold families. We struck it rich about 80 years ago. James came from a very modest family but I did love him so. We were sickeningly in love. I didn't want to sign one but my father was the one who insisted on the Pre Nup."

"Sandra, were you aware your husband had another child? A biological son?"

Sandra looked up. "No, you must be mistaken. James wouldn't do that to me. He loved me. He assured me he was completely faithful to me."

"I'm afraid it's true. We believe Katrina became aware of him and she confronted your husband about it."

"No, James wouldn't. He knows what is at stake. I… I wouldn't stay with him if he was unfaithful. He knew that. He wouldn't want to throw that sort of money away."

Jim looked over at the window at the two CSI's behind the window.

"That's a weird thing to say." Nick commented. "Most people don't indicate the money is the only thing their spouse would lose."

"He knew he had a cash cow, and she knew she was the cow."

"She got what she wanted, a child, and assumed he would be satisfied with a once a week servicing and lots and lots of money."

"Never under estimate a man's libido." Nick nodded his agreement.


	11. Chapter 11

Jim Nick and Sara entered the second interrogation room. "Please James, take a seat."

"You have no right to keep me here. Haven't my wife and I been through enough. First we find out our daughter is… dead," tears welled up in his eyes, "and now you treat my wife and I like criminals. Can't you leave us to grieve." Sobs escaped from James Morton as he placed his head in his hands.

Jim Brass started a slow round of applause for Mr Morton. "Excellent! Excellent performance. Wasn't that good." The last comment was directed at Nick and Sara who sat silently by the rear wall. "I can see how you managed to convince your wife you were faithful for all those years. How long was it before you started to screw around. Obviously not long considering your son is only a few years younger than your adopted daughter."

"What are you talking about? You can't treat us like this. My wife if very fragile, she can't stand much more of this. What are you accusing us of?"

"We are not accusing your wife of anything. We are, however, accusing YOU of murder. You see, we found out some really interesting information during the course of this investigation. First, you fathered a son to a Miss Jenny Sampson, your dry cleaner of all people. You have been buying her silence for the last 19 years. This expensive dalliance wasn't your last though, was it. The carpet in your study can attest to that. Haven't had time to run all the samples collected but imagine we are looking at multiple fluid contributors there. Wow, in your own home, right under your wife's nose and with all that money on the line. You have balls I'll give you that.

"All had been going along just fine, until Katrina found out about your son. How did she manage that? Well that we think that was just dumb luck. You wouldn't think in a city as big as Las Vegas she would ever run into your son who looks enough like you that even Sara here could pick it. But she did. Devon…. That's his name isn't it? Yes… Devon doesn't remember the meeting but it sure must have made an impression on her. Don't suppose we will ever find out where she saw him. Could have been a party, or even at a shop at the mall. She has taken that to her grave. After a bit of snooping around she managed to find out about you and your lady friends, and about the pre nup. She didn't like that did she? She loved her mom, idolised her I bet. And here you were screwing around on her behind her back when ……"

James Morton leapt to his feet and slammed his fist into the table… "Enough, I have had enough of this bullshit. I want my lawyer. This interview is OVER." The last word was screamed at Brass as he sat calmly on the other side of the table.

"That is your right. By the way, you are under arrest for the murder and illegal burial of Katrina Morton. Here are some of your other rights." With that Brass read James Morton his Miranda rights as he placed him in handcuffs while he waited for his lawyer to arrive.

Nick and Sara had silently watched Jim lay out the senario. As he did they could see the façade of a morning father be slowly replaced as James Morton came to realised all was lost. Not just all that money, but most probably his life too.

They left him in the room with a uniformed officer as he waited for his lawyer.

"Think he will confess?" Sara asked hopefully.

"Not likely, I've see this type too often. He will go kicking and declaring his innocence to the end. Mind you, once his lawyer sees what we have I am sure he will suggest he cop a plea. Let the DA sort that out. We make a good team we three. We should do this more often. Shame Ecklie split you guys up." Jim and the two CSI's headed back to the offices.


	12. Chapter 12

Nick and Sara sat at the café. They hadn't had breakfast together since the shift had been split up. They both missed this.

"So you back to 4pm start today?" Sara asked Nick as they both took a sip of their coffee.

Looking down at the watch on his wrist he responded sadly, "Yeah, only 6 hours and I am on again. At least you don't have to start till midnight."

"Do you like it? The different shift? Working for Catherine?" The last was asked with a slight sneer that most people would have missed.

"Now, now, put your claws away. She isn't that bad."

"Seems to have gotten a little power hungry for my liking. You have to agree with me there."

"I'll concede she approaches jobs with a slightly different attitude then she did when she wasn't a supervisor. But, she is still finding her footing… I suppose."

"You hate it don't you?"

Nick grinned over his coffee cup. All pretence of political correctness gone, "Yeah, I hate it. The hours are the WORST. I haven't had a date in over 5 months. For some reason women don't like their first date to be breakfast or lunch. They want a three course meal."

"Harder to get laid too I bet. I wouldn't put out for anything less than a three courser."

"Sara 'first date' Sidle, hey?" Nick teased the brunette across the table. "If I had know that I would have asked you out years ago. What about you. How is your love life? Still chasing that mad scientist?"

"What is that supposed to mean?" Sara took a large swig of her steaming coffee to try and cover her embarrassment. Nick continued to look at her. Realising he knew what she had held secret so long she groaned. "How many people know?" She asked, dismayed that her secret unrequited love was not actually a secret.

"Just me, and Warrick, Catherine, Greg, Hodges…. Jackie..Brass"

Sara dropped her head to the table. "Brass knows?… I want to die. How….. how can you all know this?"

"We are professional investigators, trained to observe …. and gossip." Nick reached and patted Sara's head as it lay on the table opposite him. "Look Sara, I know this is none of my business and I don't want to butt in but… don't you think it is time to move on. I mean.. It has been 5 years that I know of. How many years before that only you can know. You can only get slapped down so many times before you can't get up again."

Sara lifted her head of the table and looked over at her friend. "I know. It's just that… I give up and then he says something, or does something that makes me think. … Yes, he does want me… and then…..nothing. It's like what he said or did was just a figment of my imagination. Haven't you ever wanted someone who didn't want you?"

"Yeah, I have." Nick looked down into his mug. A sad expression crossed his handsome face.

"What did you do, how long before you gave up?"

"The thing is you never really give up….. you wait it out for a while and then…. You look around. You never really take your eye off the prize but you look for other options… second or third prizes if you like, sometimes the lesser prizes are better suited for you even if you don't realise it at the time. If you focus on the one thing to the exception of all others you may miss out on something really great. The way I look at it, you try out some other options, see how they go. If they don't work out then what have you lost? Nothing! You are still in the same situation. But if they do work out… who knows, one day you might just wake up and realise that you haven't thought about that prize for a long time."

"Do you still think about your prize?"

"Yeah, I do. But I still look around. No use flogging a dead horse."

"So I went from a prize to a dead horse did I."

It was Nicks turn to feel the embarrassment that Sara had felt a few minutes before. "I guess you are trained to observe too."

"You would think so but I have to be honest. It was Greg who told me."

"How did he know?"

"He is going to make a fine CSI one day."

They sat in silence for a few minutes. Each taking in the fact that the other knew a secret they though no one knew.

"I miss working with you." Sara broke the silence first.

"Me too."

"Maybe we should try and catch up more often, after work. We could see a movie or something."

"Yeah, maybe we should."


End file.
